Circular independent-needle knitting-machine.



10.352836 PATENTED JUNE 25. 1507 C. A. SANTMYERS.

CIRCULAR INDEPENDENT NEEDLE KNITTINC MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Flax No. 857.86%. PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907 C. A. SANTMYERS.

CIRCULAR INDEPENDENT NEEDLE KNITTING MAOHIN APPLICATION I'ILED JULY 25,

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BV www PATENTED JUNE 25. 1907.

C. A. SANTMYERS. CIRCULAR INDEPENDENT NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINE.

l APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1906.

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CHARLES A. SANTMYERS-OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO LOUIS F. LIYERIGHI AND ELLIS DAVIDSON, OF PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA.

CICULAB lNDEPEANDENT-NEDLE KNITTSNGTMACHINE.

b'pecifieeation of Letters Patent.

Patented J' une 25, 1907.'

Application filed JnlyZii. 1908. Serial il'o. 327.619.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A; SANT- MYERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Circular In-l dependent Needle Knitting Machines, of

to 'form an open-work or. dro stitch e ect,

which the following is'a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had t0. the accompany' g drawings, which form a part of this specification. f

The object of my 'invention is' to soO construct Va knitting machine that, at any point in the fabric, one or more needles may be moved out of action and itsstitch dro pcd and at any other point in" t e fabric, said needle orneedles maybe, returned into. ziotion take the thread,-y 1

'. The invention lsarticularly useful inthe stitch or.. open work/type, or of the comlbined' drop stitch andtuc -stitch type, otherz wise known 'as lace-work. I n stockings of this' charactgr, it is essential that 'there should 'no drop-stitching in the heel, t'oe =or lower part of the foot. It is also highly desirable that' there should be no drop-stitchingin the u r art ofthe le'g, articularly iiphi P in ladies an drens stockin My invention consists in an attachment desi ed to be applied to knitting machines of t e circular type ly which the abovestated Objectis e'ecte The invention is illustrated, 'and hereinafter described, as applied to `a known type of circular independent, needle knitting Inachine adapted to the manufacture o'circular work only, although it will be understood that the inventionis notlimited in its application to any particular type of such nia- 'Vchinet IlS The machine is notA shown or described in its entirety but only so much thereof as is necessary to a full understanding ofthe invention. v

Inthedrawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a -segment of the rotatable cam-cylinder and the actuating mechanism for certain of. thecams; Fig. 2 is a side-elevation of the same showing the cams in dotted lines, the

view, however, being developed for purposes of clearness; Fig. 3 1s a view, similar to Fig.

2, showing the movable'cams in their other positions and with the actuating mechanism omitted; F ig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section of the part of the machine embodying my invention; Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views showing the' operation of the needle guard and deflect-ing cam upon the dropstitch needles g Fig. 7 is a com arative view of the three sets of needles, rig. 8 is a developed view showing all the cams.

10 is the housing, 100 the knitti der 11, 12 the cam ring rotatable on the itting head, 13 one of the segments of the canicylinder secured to the cam-rin -1'4 a rack on: the cam-ring, 15 the bevele pinion engaging and operating the rack, 16 the attern-wheel, 17 a lever adapted to be lifted) by the pattern wheel, 18'a`plu'ngr adapted to 'be lifted by the lever 17, 19 a disk on the plunger vby which the levers for operating. the

movable cams are operated. f

It will be understood .that thedriven from the main drivings t, b which a continuons rotation'is' impartedto t calncylinder. It will also be understood that the pattern wheel 16 -is driven from the main driving shaft, audits rotationy governed' and controlled; by driving'andfgoverning 4mechanism well known in 'the'.art, but not herein shown, andinot necessary to be described for the purpose of understanding iy invention.

The particular style of machine t'o which I have applied my invention is of the two-feed type provided with lace-Work attachment. Such a machine, as heretofore constructed, is provided with' two cam segments, carrying respectively needle-lifting cams corresponding to -cams 30 `and 30, stitchj cams, correspending to'cams 21 andfZ-PY beyond the needle-lifting cams respectivelv, and guide' cams 22 and 22, the needle lifting cam raising a needle to raise latch'above the previousiy formed1I loop and n bring the hook above the thread fed from the thread carrier, and the stitch cani depressing the needle to cause the hook to engage said thread and draw it down through, and cast off, said 0 head to which 1s secured the stationary nee le c lin- 'two segments are exact.A duplicates exce t that one of the needle lifting cams raises t e lneedles to a higher level than ila" Hihi-rf The re Alar needles 50, however, are raised by bot ofthe needle lifting earns a distance suliicient to draw the loops down over theirA latches as before described, but the tuck- Stitch needles 51, being provided with longer latches than the regular needles, will not be i elevated by the lower of said cams a sufficient l The lower of sai distance to permit the loops carried thereb to clear their latches, and consequently eacli of said needles will retain its loop, and elongate it while drawing down the new thread engared by its hook to form a crossing loop. The higher of the two needle-lifting cams,

,however, raises the tuck-stitch needle sufficarries thelacing cam. The cam 30, in the osition illustrated in Fig. 3, represents the acing lcam as?, eretoliore constructed and operating as desctibed. s i Y my inventionyjnstea'd of omitting one or more needles onl each side of a tuck-stitch needle, needles 52 (which I shall designate hereinafter the drop-stitch needles) are ro vided. When it isfdesired vto move t ese' ,needles out ofgaction, .these-"needles, after assing the stitch cam 21 in advance of the aci cam 30, are causedto cast their loops i and drawn down out `of action and to be held out of action until it is desired ,-to again pose I have which are to able so farV as 4the embodiment of my invention is concerned. The drop-stitch needles are formed with lo er butts than the other needles, and with s orter latches than the bring them into action. For this pur rovided the following means, considered as merely preferregular needles. By means of a clearing cam 23, which is shown as'integral with the guide cam'22, all the needles are raised but only the drop-stitch'needles are raised to a height =sullicient to elevate their latches above their loops. is a delecting cam which is not sul'licientlyl thick to engage the short butts of the regular and tuck-stitchy needles, but which is of suiicientthickness to en age the long butts of the drop stitch neeles. This cam (when depressed) deflects the dropstitch needles downwardly and brings them under the action of a withdrawing cam 24, which is formed by cutting a cam-way in that part of the guide-cam 22 beyond the clearing cam 23. During the downward movement of `the tuck-stitch needles, the loops carried therebli' slip over tf closed latches of the needles and are thus cast off.

- also secured tothe reinstati `upr1ght shaft 39 and having Thereafter, the drop-stitch needles remain in their lowered inoperative osition until such time'as it is desired to bring them into `viously to the elevation of the cani 31, the

deflecting cam 40 has been raised, so that it will be inelective to deflect the drop-stitch needles to the cam 24. Thereafter, the dropstitch needles .will operate as regular needles.

It will be understood that in passing from lace knitting to plain knitting, not only is it necessary for the drop-stitch needles tobe moved into operation, but it is also necessary (or at least desirable) to cause the tuckstitch needles to knit as regular needles. This latter result is effected by raising the lacing cam 30 to a height sufficient to lift the tuck-stitch needles, as well as the 'regular needles,l a distance sufficient to cause the latches of the tuck-stitch needles to clear the loops carried by such needles. v l

Having described the action of the various cams, the mechanism whereby their'opera tion is renderedautomatic will now -be -described. A

32, 33, are pins, both of which are secured to the lacing cam 30 and the first of which is cam 31.

314 is a spring eated-.i t e'lcalrn-segment an e a1 ,an norma u 1o, ,a 1n 35,v whichg isgixedly conneteil witilliihe iiin 33 by means of the yoke arm 335.

36 is an arm secured to the pin 35 andhaving a beveled upper face. i y 37 is a lever secured to the upper end of an a pin 38 engaging the arm 36. When said shaft is turned so as to move the lcver 37 inwardly, the pinthereon slides inwardly. along the beveled faceof the arm 36 and depresses thepin 35, thereby also depressing Athe pins 32 and 33 and. cams 30 and 3l. The upright shaft 39 turns in bearings in the cam segment and IIC isgeared to another upright shaft 380, also turning in bearings in the cam segn'ient, by

means of the gears 391 and 381 respectively on the shafts 39 and 380.

392 is a lever secured to the shaft 39.

382 is a lever secured to the, shaft 380.`

Each of these leversis adapted to be actuated by the disk 19 on th'e plunger 18.v When the disk 19 strikes the lever 382, the shaft 380'is turned, which, through the gears 381 and 391, turns the shaft 39 so as to depress the cams 30 and 31 as before described. W hen the disk 19strikes the lever 392. the shaft 39 is turned so as to piove the lever 37 outwardly, and permit the spring 34 to elevate the cams ,30. and 31s It will be understood that when one of the levers 392 or 382 is moved inwardly, the r ;her is moved outl3C' 41 which is seatedfon 'the levels, the outwardly extending lever willpattern wheel 16.

wardly in position to be struck by the disk 19, but as the twolevers are at different not be struck bythe disk until, the latter is raised or lowered into appropriate position.

-The raising and lowering oi-the disk 19 and plunger 18 is effected by lt he-lever 17, whose position is in turn contrlled by the The pattern`V wheel is provided with detachable sgmertal teeth which, .askthe wheel revolves, engage the.

lever- 17, and raise it or hold it stationary or permit' it to drop. The teeth 16'() of the .thereby in su attern wheel are of such height that the ever 17and plunger' 18 are raised. or held c position that in the rotation A of the cani, the levers 382 and 392dpass-re- I' speetively above and below the isk 19.

- When, however, the tooth 388, whichA is intopsition to strike the lever 382 and de,

higher-than teeth 160, underrides the lever 17, the plunger 18l and disk 19 areelevated 'press the cams 30 and 31. The cams remain depressed untill the tooth'393, vwhich is 17 whensa'idlever; and the plunger 18 and,

lowerfthan teeth 150, underrides, the lever dski19, dropjinto such'position that the vlever`i392fis struck'bythe disk 19, causing the cams and-31to beraised. l

The deiiecting cani 40 yis secured to the pin' the cam .40.is normallyhe d in its upper, or

' L. inoperative, tion. Secured'to the pin 41 is heads 81 44, 45.46 is a three armed'leve pivoted between t's'eiids on the cani segment,l and caljv ring on'its end 44 the pin 47 adapted, when l t e ving-a beveled upper face.

Y ever swings in vone dire'etionfto move over tha-beveled face of the arm 43 and de, press the 41 and the cam 40 carried thereby. en the armn45 is struck b. .the disk 19, the arm 44 of the lever ismove into position to depress v.the camY 40.-- At the,

-. same time the-armA 46 of `the' lever Vis moved .outwardl'y'into .position to be struck by the disk 19. when the disk 19- strikes the arm 46 Vof the lever, the arin44 of' the lever is moved outwardly, permitting-the spring 42 to lift the cam 40. At `the same time the armI 45I is moved outwardly into ositionsto be ,struck by the disk 19. Itfwil be under'- stood that when the arm.45 of the lever is moved inwardly by the disk 19, the arm' 46 of the lever is moved outwardly vinto position to be struck by the diskand vice versa, but

as 45 and 46 arevat different levels, the outwardly extending memberywill not be struck by the disk until the latter is raised or lowered into appropriate position.

The raising and lowering of the disk 19 into position to strike encor the other of the actuating arms 45, 46,--is`governed by the teeth 45,0 and 460 respectively 'of the pattern wheel. When the tooth.450 underrides the lever 17, the latter raisesthe plunger 18 and above .the loops.

fing 42, by which.

disk i9 im@ such position that the disk 1Q, in the succeeding revolution of the cam @cylinder, strikes the arm 45, thus effecting the lowering of the cam 40. "The c"m-remains depressediuntil the tooth ..06 underrides the lever 17, when the plunger 18 and disk 19 are raised into Such position that't'he disk'lQ, in the succeeding revolution of the cam cylinlder, strikes the arm 46, causing the cam 40 to be raised. Let it be assumed that the vneedles are on plain knitting, at which times disk 19 into position tostrike the arm 45,V thereby causin the cam 40 to be depressed,

as shown in ig. 3, and deflect the dropstitch needles'to'cam 24 which withdraws them 'from action. ,The cam 31 has moved -downwardl with the cam 30, so thatit is in 4its inoperative position and 4the drop `stitch -needles remain inoperative during the formation of lace-work.. l

-At `:any time before the `return to plain knitting, the teeth 384 and`451 (corresponding in'elevation to teeth-383 and 45emlspectively) successively underride .the lever '17, and hit the disk 19 which,however, does notvs'trike lever 382 or arm 45, as the same" have already been moved in.- When the next tooth 46.0 undeirides the lever 17, the disk 1.9 is raisedinto position to strike the armjf46, thereby causing cani 40 to be raised.

When. the needles are about to return to ,plain knitting, 'the tooth 393 underrides the ever-..17 ,the-disk- 19 dro slintioposition to strike .the lever 392, there ya ausing cams'30 and /31- to be raised. T cam 30 then ceases to act u on the tuck-stitch needles. as'

a lacing cam, ut lifts the same sufficiently high to draw their-latchesabove their loops, thus causing the tuck-stitch needles to do vplain knitting. The cam 3-1, being raised,

llO

moves the drop-stitch needles into action.

To insure the opening of the latches of the f drop-'stitchneedles while being moved into operative position by the cams 31 and 22, a

brush 60 is rovided, Whichengages any closed'o art y o en latchesand opens them full ar 62, securedtothe thread guide 61, hol the latehesof the needles open until the needles are m'oved ydown by the stitch l'cam 30. When, however, the dropstitch needles are acted'uppn by the depressed deilectin cam 40, t ey are lowered so-that their lato er are below the i'niiuence cam cylinder, the lace l Patent is:

of the guard 62, the latter being notched, as at 63, to permit the latches to close and allow the ,thread to be cast oii, as before described (see F igj). When, however, the deiiecting cam 40'is raised, the drop-stitch needles are not drawn down bv the cani a distance suiiicient to enable the latches to close (sce Fig. 6.) Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters 1. In a knitting machine, the combination with the knitting cylinder and the regular, tuck-stitch and drop-stitch needles, of the cam adapted when elevated, but not when depressed, to lift the tuck stitch needles a distance sufficient to canse. their latches to clear their loops, the stitch cam, the clearing cam adapted to lift the drop stitch needles to cause their latches t'o clear their loops,'cam devices adapted to thereafter Withdraw said needles from action, a reinstating cam adapted t0 restore the needles thus rendered inactive into working positiom means to render said camdevices inoperative to withdraw said needles," and means to depress the lace cam and to move said reinstatin cam into inoperative position.

` with the knitting cylinder and the regular,

tuck" stitch and drop-stitch needles, of the cam cylinder, the lacecam adapted when elevated, but not when depressed,' to lift the tuck-stitch needles a distance sufficient to cause their latches to clear their loo s, the stitch cam, the clearing cam adapte. to lift the drop stitch needles to clear 4their loops, the withdrawal cam, the

deflecting cam Aadapted when depressed to engage the drop-stitch needles and move them into position to be acted upon by the withdrawal cam, the reinstatiiig cam adapted when elevated to be moved into position to be engaged by the inactive drop-stitch needdles andD restore the latter to operative position, and means to elevate and depress the lfce cam, reinstating cam and deflecting cam.

3. 4In a knitting machine, the combination with the knitting cylinder and the regular needles, the tuck-stitch needles havingilong latches and the drop stitch needles having short latches and lon butts, ofthe cam cylinder, the lace cam adpted to elevate all the needles but when depressed to lift the tuckstitchneedlcs a distance insufficient to cause their latches to clear their loops, the stitch cam, the clearing cam adapted to lift the dropstitch needles to cause their latches to clear their loops, the withdrawal cam, the deflecting camadapted when depressed to engage the long butts. of the drop-stitch needles and.

move them into position to be acted upon by the withdrawal cam, the reinstating cain adapted when elevated to be moved into position to be engaged by the inactive ldropstitch needles and restore the latter to opto cause their latches cam adapted, when elevated,

'stitch and drop-stitch'needles, of-

erati've position, and means to elevate and l depress the lace cani, reinstating cam and deiiecting cani.

4. In a knitting machine, the combination with the knitting cylinder andthe regula-r needles, the tuck-stitch needles having long latches, and the drop-stitch needles having short latches and long butts, of the cam cylinder, the lace cam adapted to elevate all the needles, means to depress the lace cam thereby causing it to lift theti'ick stitch needles a distance less than that required to cause their latches to clear their loops, the stitch cam in advance of the lace cam, the guide cam in advance of the. stitch cam, theclearing cam adaptedl to lift the drop-stitch needles to canse their latches to clear their loops, the dclecting cam adapted. toengage the long butts of the drop-stitch needles,the withdrawal cam, means to de ress the deflecting '2am in line with the 'witlidrawal ca m,l thereby causing the drop-stitch needles to be withdrawn from operation, the reinstating "i cam connected with the lace cam'so asto move therewith and adapted, when elevated,

to be moved in line with the guide cam and drop-stitch needles whereby the latter are caused to be moved into o and means to elevate the deecting cam'. l

5. In a knitting machine, the combination r,with the. knitting cylinder and the tuckace' camand the' sti h and drop-stitch needles, ofthe cam nder, the lace' cam adapted when elevated, but stitch needles a distance sufficient to cause their latches to clear their loo cam, cam devicesada ted to dro -stitch needles Wit draw them from om their loops.V and. action, a 4reinstating depressed, to restore the needles thus rendered inactive into working position, means connecting said lace cam and reinstatin cam and causing them to movein unison, an devices actuating said means, tl

4ereby reinstating the drop-stitch needles when the tuck-stitch needles operate as regular needles and-causing the drop-stitch needles 'to re main out of action when the tuck-stitch needles 'are operating to form tuck stitching. 6. In a' knitting machine, the co bination era'tve position,

not when depressed, to lift the tucks, the stitch` is'engage the hei.

. l in position to be engagedA by the inactive i a knitting machine, the combination but not when with the knitting `cylinder and t le tuck.

the cam cylinder, the lace cam adapted when ele'- vated,'b'ut not 'when depressed, to'lit-the tuck-stitch needs a distance sufficient tJl cause their latches teclear their loops, the stitch cam', cam devices adapted 'to disengage the drop-stitch' needles from their loops and withdraw them from action, 'a reinstating cam adapted, when elevated, but riot when depressed, to 'restore the needles thus rendered inactive into working position, pm s,

ISO

Bem-sse V5 one secured to the lace cani and the other sethe third pin, having a beveled face, and ja lever adapted, when operated, to engage said beveled face and depress the third pin, therea tivehY actuate said pins respectively, pattern by de ressing` the two last-named cams.

7. na knitting machine, the combination with the knitting cylinder and the tui-kstitch and drop-stitch needles, ol the cani cylinder adapted when elevated, but no t when depressed, to vlift the tui-k stiiizii their loops, the deleeting-cani adapted when depressed to engage the drop stitch needles'.

and move theiii into inoperative position, a reinstatiiig-cani adapted, when elevated, but not when depressed, to restore the` inactive drop-stit h needles into working position, a pin connected with liotii thedacc cain and reinstatiiig cani, a pin eonnected to the delleetingr ciiiii, levers ai apted to he aetliated to posiiiieclieiiisiii and devices actuated by the pat` tern mechanism to actuate said levers.

lr. testimony of which invention, I have hereunto my hand, at Philadelphia, on this 201 h day ofJuly, 1906.

needles a distance sufficient to cause their 1 -stitch needles to cause their latches to clear CHARLES A. SANTMYERS.

Witnesses z M. M. HAMILTON, A. M. URL-m. 

